Lauri’s Comments (group member since Jan 23, 2016)

Lauri’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Completion post!
Shadow Child by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto
Finished 11/14/19
Page count: 343
5 star read for me!
Works for anything goes OR for the following BINGO words: Card #2 PRINCE pg. 242 "There aren't a lot of Prince Charmings in her family tree."
Card #2 WATER pg. 254 "When you jump, there is air, first, before the water."
Card #1 ARTIST "If you put me a sketch artist, I'm sure we can re-create him."



Dear Captains, could someone please add this one to our spreadsheet for me? Thanks very much!

Completion Post!
Drizzled with Death by Jessie Crockett
Finished 11/12/19
Page count: 298
Works for contemporary or also has bingo words from card #1 POWER on pg. 165 & CAKE on pg. 66 AND from card #3 ALL -YOU-CAN-EAT on pg. 6!! Sentences available upon request...
Please use whatever you feel will help us most



Dear captains, could you please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thanks so much!

Completion Post!
Getting Old is Criminal by Rita Lakin
Finished 11/11/19
Page count: 384
Works for contemporary OR I found the following words from BINGO card #1: Diamond on page 110, Champagne on page 2, and Extravagant on page 76. Please use whichever works best for our team. Also I have the sentences for each word if you need them. Please let me know...
Dear Captains, could someone please add this to out spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

It really is awesome, Chava. Before the mental hospital, I worked at a preschool for 12 years. We saw so many foster children and adoptees from foreign countries just struggling to "keep up" with the other children. It's always so heartwarming to see a success story. Some children are not always so fortunate to find a loving, nurturing home...

I'm still having a blast here! Sorry if I'm all over the place. I was planning to read Caraval and The Girl With All the Gifts off the bad books list. Although 'Gifts' can give us a Sin Bingo....
I'm still working on Ghost Story, The Alienist, Death Perception, Drizzled with Death and Shadow Child. I plan to read both books of the month, too. Hopefully I'll settle down at some point, but I doubt it!!

Completion Post!
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Finished 11/6/19
Page count: 353
October BOTM
I can't do a link to save my life, but my msgs are on the BOTM thread: #305, 306, 315, 323 & 324...
It can cover young adult, green cover & dystopian so please put it anywhere you see fit.

Could our dear captains add this one to the spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

DQ Day 5 Chapter 20 to the end

20- Early in chapter 29, Hetty thinks to herself, “For a year and a half we’ve been as safe as we could ask for. The fence, regular supplies. Welch and the Headmistress to hold us together. A year and a half, and in a week I’ve torn it apart.” Do you agree? Do you think the events at the end are Hetty’s fault?
A bad ending was inevitable. If it wasn't Hetty, it would've been someone else. Maybe Welch would've cracked on her own...

21- The chaos of chapter 20 is nuts. A bear, poison, evil people who think they have a better right to life than the others. The thing I found most disturbing in this part was that the extra girls, the remaining girls, the ones we know almost nothing about, seemed truly extra to the story. I felt nothing for them, and that bothered me. How did you all feel about this chaotic part of the book; the taking of Reese, the poison room, etc.?
It was totally crazy!! This was the most exciting part of the entire book! I agree that the other girls were almost erroneous to the story. We only heard about them peripherally. It would've been better to have spent more time on character development -- at least for a few more girls. We would have had a bit more empathy for them all. The bear was scary as was finding out about the medical testing & the total disregard for human life.

22- The reveal of the cause of the Tox, (view spoiler) was a good story point, I thought. Would you have liked to get more info on this? Did you have any inkling that this was the cause, or what did you think it was? Do you think that the CDC (or whoever found this stuff) released it on the island, or was it found there in the girls?
I definitely would have liked more background on the Tox. It was so random (and improbable!) the way everybody had all these different symptoms... I'm guessing that the island already had a strain of the Tox because of the crabs & the irises. Maybe the CDC developed & accelerated it to try on the poor girls.

23- What happens next? Do they reach the mainland? Does Byatt recover, or is her essence gone? Why? Will there be a sequel, and will you read it if there is?
I think Byatt will recover, but will never be the same. She is too good of a person to be killed off. There will be a sequel for sure & I will probably read it at some point.

DQ Day 4 Chapters 14-19

16. I felt so bad for Reese to be able to see her father again and so different. Mr. Harker changed in ways none of the girls have. Why do you think the Tox is more aggressive with men? Is it just hormones or something else? Was Reese’s reaction to Hetty killing her father a normal reaction? Do you think Reese has lost hope now?
They've already mentioned hormones as some kind of factor in the Tox. Headmistress was of a certain age -- not affected as badly. Welch was on birth control, again with the hormones. All the young girls seemed to run the gamut with horrible symptoms! So what should we surmise would happen to males with all their testosterone? Poor Teddy! I don't think we could say there was a normal reaction for anyone to have in this case about someone killing your father. He was obviously gone at that point & would've killed both girls. Look at the killer deer, too. So weird & spooky! I'm not sure Reese has any hope left at all. I'm hoping that she'll be nice to Hetty. She really needs some support about now.

17. Byatt’s section was pretty intense. This is the first time that we see the Tox attacking someone and how horrific it is. By the end she seems pretty resigned and ready to die when Paretta tells her that they are evacuating and there will be no more help for Raxter. Do you think Byatt understood that she was condemned everyone to death by breaking quarantine?
I believe Byatt was just reaching out for human compassion and warmth with Teddy. She would never have done it if she fully knew the consequence.

18. Welch and the Headmistress are really upset about quarantine being broken. Do you believe they know who did it? What do you think about Welch telling the truth to the Boat Shift girls on the dock before she kills herself? Do they believe her or are they just too overwhelmed to really process everything?
Headmistress and Welch probably have a pretty good idea what's going on. Much more so than any of the girls. They also have a terrible burden to keep them all as safe as can be expected under the circumstances. When Welch saw that canister and no food, she just gave up. Luckily she didn't kill everyone before killing herself. I totally think Welch was telling the Boat Shift girls the truth. Why else would she have killed herself?

19. Hetty was right when she said Welch held everything and everyone together (paraphrasing). The first night she is gone things start to fall apart. Hetty not locking the gate when they got back. Gun Shift girls falling asleep on duty. Both reasons caused Lindsey to die. Do you think Hetty will step up to lead to thk e girls to make sure things do not dissolve any further into chaos or let her guilt of not locking the gate overwhelm her?
I'm sincerely hoping that Hetty will save the day -- or, failing that, at least prolong the inevitable. I smell a sequel!

Day 3 DQs - Hetty (Ch 9) - 13

11. After all the tension in the beginning between Hetty and Reese, and now that they only have each other without Byatt as the middleman, they admit their true feelings toward one another. I felt like we didn't get much of a buildup to it so did you feel the chemistry between them? Did you think this turn in their relationship was believable? Forced? Necessary, or something to give the reader hope?
I was rather surprised by this turn of events. They had put Reese out there as rather unfeeling and cold. I saw Hetty and Byatt as probable partners.

12. I didn't stop to consider how everyone's symptoms were so varied until Byatt started listing them for Teddy. Why do you think it reacted so differently with everyone it infected?
Is it really the same disease manifesting in so many different ways? It seems improbable to me. At the very least, there should be at least one common denominator-- like fever or blisters or fainting... Does that make sense?

13. We learned a lot more about Byatt which made me rethink the previous interactions she had with her friends. Did Hetty and Reese really know the real Byatt? And is Byatt reliable as a narrator knowing that she's a compulsive liar?
I was surprised to hear that Byatt was a compulsive liar! She seemed so even tempered & a great mediator. Everything is turned upside down now!

14. Byatt manipulated poor Teddy into removing his mask and kissing him. Why do you think she did this? To infect him, just because she could, or because she really believed it only affected girls (though come on, Mr. Harker!)?
I'm not sure why she did that! A rush of power? Just because she could? To feel normal again?

15. When Mona told Byatt that "They'll ruin it," who do you think she was referring to and what do you think she meant by it? Mona then asks if Byatt would keep the disfigurements caused by the Tox even if there was a cure. What did you make of this? Why do you think they would want to keep them?
I don't really know what Mona meant by that statement! At this point, I'm wondering if there's some kind of super power they may be gaining through all this. Like if this doesn't kill you, you'll be able to read minds or fly or something...

Completion Post!
Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett
Finished 11/4/19
Page count: 327 pages
Will work for contemporary. Not too sure where it would fit in to our mini challenge. I am honestly confused with this one... Please put it wherever you think it fits best!



could someone please add it to our spreadsheet for me?
Thank you kindly!

This week I plan to work on Fall of Giants (I'm 100 pages in!), finish Wilder Girls, finish Sentenced to Death which I'm reading for Cozy Mystery Party Bingo, keep plugging away at The Alienist and Ghost Story and Sorcery of Thorns and A Prayer for the Damned. Maybe it will even be a 3-book-week for me! I will also take a look at the bad books list...

So.... If I finish Wilder Girls & Gideon the Ninth in the next 2 weeks, we still get the extra points?

We don't have daylight savings in Hawaii at all. I'm totally confused by the whole thing! I thought it had just started in October! The only thing I care about (besides our book deadline) is what time the newest episode of the Walking Dead comes on!!

Any other fans here?

Suzanne wrote: "I went to put it on there and Erin was already doing it - she's a speedy one! =)

I liked that series - I really love Oberon."

Me too! He's my favorite! Kevin Hearne must be a really fun guy!

Completion Post!

Hexed by Kevin Hearne
Finished 11/2/19
Page count: 296
Can work for either yellow or brown cover (I think it's pretty much 50-50 of each) or contemporary & for the Wrath mini it fits #78 Bladed weapon on cover - it's his sword
Please use it wherever you think it works best. I am loving this series!



Could one of our lovely captains or teammies please add it to our spreadsheet for me?
Thank you so much!

Day 2 - chapters 4 - 8

5. The Boat Shift segment was intense! The description of the changes to the island were very evocative (and reminiscent of Annihilation, as Frankie mentioned). Are you going to be able to walk in the woods the same again? How effective are you finding the fungal horrors?
Well, actually I never walk in the woods, so I was fine with it! It did creep me out, though.

6. Welch. First, during the Boat Shift segment; Did you believe/agree with Welch at the first reading? And by the end of this section, looking back, do you still agree? Would you have done what Hetty did, and complied with the rule of silence? Then we discover Welch is communicating with someone (with a familiar voice....) about receipt, replacement and returns. By the end of this section we can guess at "receipt", but who / what is being returned?? Were you surprised by the reveal of Welch being in on "it"?
Having no real knowledge of Welch, I had no feelings about her one way or the other. Nothing would surprise me right now. I think Welch is tough because she has to be. She didn't really give Hetty a choice in the matter. She would probably be eliminated if she spoke out.

7. Hetty has a big revelation about Reese "I've spent my every day since I met her telling myself the wrong thing. Telling myself over and over that she was cold, when maybe she was burning the whole time" I actually judged Hetty a lot at this point, for being so blinkered and oblivious, but I did like the adjustment she made during the conversation. How do you feel about Hetty, Reese and Byatt? Are they becoming more credible characters yet?
The whole triangle seems a little stilted to me. I want more details, please.

8. We have a switch in POV to Byatt. What do you think of this choice by the author?
I think it gives us more insight into the events that have transpired thus far. I'm hoping we hear from Reese next.

9. The Byatt segment shows medical stuff happening. What do you make of that? Are they curing or creating?
It really seems more like experimentation! No one clearly cares about these children, so why not use them as Guinea pigs?

10. "Just before a flare-up, there's a moment. Hard to describe, hard to pin down, but for me it almost makes it worth it. The pain and the loss, all of it a fair price for this. This strength, this power, this eagerness to bare my teeth>" What do you think this quote means? Does it hint at reasons for the Tox? At future developments in the story line?
Foreshadowing, definitely. Exactly as to what? No one can be sure yet! At the end we'll all say 'ahhhh....'

DQ’s Day One: Chapters 1-3

1. It’s interesting to see the dynamic between the main girls (Hetty, Byatt, Reese). They can fist fight over food one minute, but still be best friends the next. Reminds me of my sister & I. LOL. Have you ever had this kind of relationship with someone?
Personally? No I have not experienced anything like this. I'm an only child & I see myself as more reticent -- a bit more like Reese's character really.

2. Byatt sneaks out of the room when she thinks Hetty is sleeping, then crawls up in Reese’s bunk when she returns. Where do you think she snuck off to? & what did she mean when she said to Reese, ”If you know something...”? Reese shuts down & kicks her out of her bunk. Wonder what their secret is?
Not too sure at this point. Are they really lesbians or just pretending? Lots of teenage angst here!

3. Hetty says, “And I’ve wanted boys, and I’ve wanted girls, but I’ve never wanted anyone enough to miss them, enough to pluck them from the slideshow of my old life and bring them here.”
People have different ways of handling emotional stuff like this. Some people (like Hetty) believe thinking or talking about your loved ones or past life would only make the situation harder to deal with emotionally. Put yourself in this situation. How do you think you’d cope with missing your old life/family? Would you be like Hetty & shut down emotionally to prevent more pain? Or would you be like the other girls, laughing & sharing stories of your old life?
I would definitely talk about my family & old friends. Sure, it would hurt a bit especially at first, but it's healthier in the long run. My parents have been dead for over 20 years already. At first I never mentioned them, but little by little I started talking about them & sharing my feelings. It gets much better over time. The hard part in the girls' stituation in our story is the uncertainty of it all, the not knowing what has become of their loved ones.

4. Personally, I’m really enjoying the book already! I love the writing style, the world building, & the characters. I know we’re only a few chapters in, but how are you liking it so far? What aspect of the book do you like best at this point (writing, world building, characters, etc.)?
I'm a big fan of dystopia in general. I think the author is doing a great job of building upon the fear & hopelessness of it all. The animals are really freaking me out as well as the different ways the girls can get sick and either live or die terribly...terrifying!

Hello, Dear Captains...
Or any team member... Could you please see my msg. #698 and add The Scam to our spreadsheet for me?
I appreciate all of you and Happy Halloween!

Suzanne wrote: "

It wasn't the most pro costume - but it was a great night to socialize the puppy. He now thinks answering the door is the most fun thing ever."

LOVE it! He's adorable.... Oh, and you are too, of course!

Completion Post!
The Scam by Janet Evanovich
Finished 10/29/19
Page count: 286
Works for purple cover or contemporary. It's also MPG Mystery



Could someone please add it to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!